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“Oh.” My already-flat mood became flatter.
“We’re looking them over. We’re not in any rush to sell it.”
“Ah.”
He glanced at me, his gaze concerned. “Maddy get to Toronto okay?”
“Yeah. Aiden was there. He’s doing a few things to make her more comfortable.”
“I figured he would.”
“Did you tell Maddox or Aiden about her?”
He chuckled, not even trying to hide it. “Both of them. We had one of our Zoom calls. Planning a golf game for the bachelor party.”
“Ah.”
“You sure you can’t make it? Your sister is getting married.”
I scrubbed my face. “Dad. I told you, I tried. I would if I could, especially now that Maddy is there. But the chief is out that weekend. So is the head charge nurse. And two other doctors. My request was rejected—soundly. I’ll go see Heather and Reed when I can. She understands.”
“I do as well,” he assured me. “It would just be great to have you all there. I love it when my kids are around.”
“I know. I’ll make it up.”
He shook his head. “Nothing to make up. I’m just ever-hopeful.”
I sipped my coffee, feeling tired.
“Your mother tells me this is more serious than I realized.”
“Yeah.” I looked at the pool, the water rippling in the light breeze. “Unexpected. But real.”
“You’re going to miss her.”
I looked at him and spoke my greatest fear out loud. “There is an offer of immediate employment with no repayment of her student loans if she accepts. But it has to be in Ontario for a minimum of a year after she graduates. That’s two years, Dad. We’ve only been together two months. I was worried about being apart a year—but two? So much will change.”
He whistled low. “That’s tough, I agree.”
“I’m trying not to get ahead of myself. I hope she’ll dislike Toronto—find it too big. Too far away from Sue—and me. But I worry she’ll like it. Find new friends and a life she enjoys. Takes a job at whatever hospital she does her practical work at and stays.” I huffed a sigh and spoke my biggest fear out loud. “I’m scared she’ll meet someone who is there and part of that life.”
Dad was quiet while he finished his coffee. He carried the mugs inside and returned with fresh cups. He sipped some of the dark brew then spoke.
“Valid concerns. I’m sure she worries about you as well. You’re home and comfortable. Surrounded by pretty nurses and hospital staff who understand the demands on you. You had a life outside of her and can fall back into it. You could easily meet someone else. Or decide that the long-distance thing is too hard. But even relationships in the same city fail. Marriages fail. It depends on the work you put into them. If you’re serious about this girl, and she is serious about you, you will figure it out. Day by day, week by week. When her decision on where to live is up for discussion, then you’ll know where you stand. If you come to the decision as a couple, the future is clear. If she decides without your input, you know the answer.”
“Right.”
“It’s not easy, Matthew. Life never is. Love is certainly never easy. The bloom at the start is amazing—roses, candlelight, romance. Then the real life starts. That’s when you find out if your roots were deep enough to withstand reality. Keeping love alive in the midst of living is hard work. But it can be done.”
I nodded, my gaze fixed on the pool, the way the sunlight glimmered on the surface. It reminded me of the way Maddy’s eyes looked when she was happy and teasing me. I shook my head mentally. Everything reminded me of her right now.
I picked up my cup. “I guess we’ll see what the future holds.”
Dad nodded. “Time will tell.”
He was right.
CHAPTER 16
